Torak
Torak is the protagonist of the series. Starting out in Wolf Brother as an orphaned 12-year-old boy, he battles the evil Soul Eaters throughout the six books of The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, together with his friends, and eventually vanquishes them altogether in Ghost Hunter, the last installment of the series. Torak is brave, but makes bad choices throughout the series and is sometimes related to by the other characters as “foolish” or “stupid”. He matures through the series, and during the last few books is revealed at some times as wise. His main faults are that he doesn’t listen to help from others and allows his feelings to get in the way. He is quite bossy. Physical Appearance Torak has dark olive skin, and dark blackish hair like his father's. His Wolf Clan Tattoos (which resemble that of a tiger) are on his cheeks, and are easy to make out due to the contrast of the tattoos against his skin. On his left cheek Torak has a light scar cutting right across the dotted lines of his clan tattoo, which actually declares him Clanless. In Oath Breaker, he is described as tall and fairly attractive. Personality Torak is loyal and brave, but can be very serious at times, and at other times is playful. However, his loyalty and emotions towards others can cause him to be serious and wish to be alone, often putting his life and that of others in danger as he doesn't think things through and often fails to listen to advice given to him. Due to him growing up away from most of the clans, he often feels left out or different, though when isolated he longs for companionship. He is a very good at hunting, especially tracking. He learned tracking from his father, who was later revealed to be the former Wolf Clan Mage. He is also very stubborn, which sometimes leads to arguments between him and Renn. Skills Torak has many skills, some, such as basic survival skills, are common in the forest (though he has developed more survival skills than most because of his ability to talk to wolves, even though before his father's death, he was very dependent on his father). Others skills, such as Spirit Walking, are extremely rare. Torak can speak wolf, because he once lived in a wolf den due to lack of milk to drink as a baby, which means he has the ability to talk to wolves through body signs, yips, and howling, and can also talk to and command dogs. He also has some experience in healing and herb law, is proficient at archery, fletching, and building shelters. He can also swim very well, but doesn't have as many specific talents (like magecraft) as everyone else because of never having learnt many things, as he and his father were hiding from all the clans in the forest, living on their own. But the main talent his father gave him was tracking. He always finds every tiny sign on the land and knows what it means. Also, although his father was once one of the most evil men in the clans, he taught Torak integrity. It is possible that Torak may have the ability of magecraft. The ability seems to be hereditary since Renn inherited magecraft from her mother, Seshru. If it's true then Torak would be a mage because his father, the wolf clan mage, was one of the most powerful mages of the forest. Should it be that way then Torak would be the thing all mages strive for (according to this Wikia), a mage with the ability of spirit walking. Background He was born in the Deep Forest, inside the Great Yew, away from the Clans. His mother was from the Red Deer Clan and his father was the Wolf Clan Mage. His mother died when he was three months old and his father was unable to look after him at that time. Instead of killing him he left him in a wolf den with a family of wolves, where Torak stayed for 2 years. During this time he learned to speak wolf talk. After this his father collected him and raised him. He did so to keep him away from the clans, in order to protect Torak. However, when Torak was seven summers (years) old, his father revealed his existence to Saeunn, the Raven Clan Mage, at a clan meet by the sea. During the time Torak spent with his father, he was taught many skills such as hunting and respect for the forest, his father even tattooed him with the Wolf Clan tattoos, although when his mother died she declared Torak clanless. When Torak's father was killed by the Demon Bear in Wolf Brother, Torak swore revenge. His father made him swear an oath to travel to the Mountain of the World Spirit. On Torak's father's side his grandfather was Wolf Clan and his grandmother was Seal Clan. They had two children - Torak's father, Fa, and Tenris, the Seal Mage. On Torak's mother's side his grandfather was Oak Clan and his grandmother was Red Deer Clan. They had one child, who was Torak's mother. This means he is kin to Thiazzi the Oak Mage - strongest man in the forest and second-to-last soul eater. Torak fights Thiazzi in the 3rd book and the 5th book. Biography ''Wolf Brother'' Torak's world is changed forever when his father is killed by a bear, one night as they were pitching camp. Before the bear returns to finish him off, Torak's father tells him that it is no ordinary bear: it is possessed by a demon from the Otherworld. He then makes Torak swear to find the Mountain of the World Spirit where the bear can be destroyed before it grows too powerful in a moon's time. He also warns him to stay away from Men, in fear that they could 'find out what he could do'. Shortly after his father's death, Torak finds an orphaned wolf cub and discovers that he can speak the language of the wolves. Despite initial wariness and near-death because of a fever caused by a wound sustained in the bear's attack, Torak survives and forms a strong bond with the young Wolf, who becomes his pack brother. However, Torak is soon captured by three hunters from the Raven Clan after he hunts and kills a roe buck on their land. Torak is surprised to learn that the Clans have decided to divide the Forest between each of them due to prey scarcity. Brought before Fin-Kedinn, the Leader of the Clan, he is sentenced to death for his action but protest that he can prove his innocence through trial by combat. He fights Fin-Kedinn's nephew and his own captor, Hord, eventually defeating him using a trick involving steam. This act leads Hord's sister, Renn, to deduce that Torak is the prophesied Listener who is meant to save the Clans from a great evil. She also tells him that the bear has been terrorizing the Clans for moons. While a Clanmeet gathers to discuss the bear and the discovery of Torak, he learns the truth of the bear's existence: the bear had been created by a mysterious wanderer who performed a ritual during his time with the Red Deer Clan. The Crippled Wanderer had created the bear for the single purpose of hunting down his worst enemy: the former Mage of the Wolf Clan, Torak's father. Escaping from the Ravens with Renn's help, they head north under Wolf's guidance to find the Mountain of the World Spirit, as the powerful entity was the only one who could destroy the bear, which grew stronger with each passing day. Renn also told Torak that the World Spirit had been angered when the Crippled Wanderer had made the bear, as he had made a creature born to kill without purpose. To placate the World Spirit, the Listener would have to give the spirit his 'heart's blood' and the three strongest pieces of the Nanuak, the world's essence which sometime formed into something powerful such as waterfalls. Torak finds the first piece; river eyes, who he takes from the Hidden People of the river; when he falls over the Thunder Falls. He finds te second piece when they encounter a mysterious madmen named the Walker who points them towards an ancient cave which contains a door to the Otherworld and a stone tooth which Torak takes. However, the bear finds them as animals are drawn to the Nanuak. Wolf takes the river eyes to lead the bear away. While Torak howls for his pack brother, Renn makes a spell to conceal the stone tooth from the bear. They later found Wolf before the Ice River over Lake Axehead and crossed it to reach the Mountain before the bear grew too strong. Separated from Renn, Torak and Wolf find a dead man who is clutching the last piece of the Nanuak: a strike fire. He later braves the snow storm to rescue Renn. When they return to the Forest, they are recaptured by the Raven Clan who had followed their trail North. After Hord tries to convince his clan to kill Torak and allow him to take the Nanuak to the Mountain, Renn is able to convince them that only Wolf can find the Moutain and that only Torak can talk to Wolf. That night, Fin-Kedinn tells Torak what he hadn't told him about the bear: that he was the creation of a Soul Eater, a group of seven Mages who turned evil in their desire to increase their own power. Torak's father had tried to stop the Soul Eaters before their had been scattered by a Great Fire thirteen summers previously. One of them had created the bear in retaliation. Torak also learns that his father believed that only he could destroy the Soul Eaters and that was why he had raised him apart from the Clans. The next day, Torak and Wolf find the Mountain where they draw the bear using the Nanuak but their efforts to kill him are impeded by Hord who reveals that he had been the one who caught the bear for the Crippled Wanderer and that he wanted to end the evil he had created. As Torak and Hord fight, the bear reaches them and Wolf takes the Nanuak. At that moment, Torak realises what the prophecy meant by his 'heart's blood': his pack brother, Wolf. Torak makes Wolf go to the Mountain with the Nanuak while the World Spirit responds by destroying the bear, killing Hord in the process. Torak leaves but not before swearing that he would see his pack brother again. ''Spirit Walker'' When a mysterious illness threatens to wipe out the clans, Torak embarks on a journey alone to find a cure. He journeys to the Deep Forest to be told to go towards the sea. However, when he arrives, he is taken captive by three boys from the Seal Clan; Bale, Asrif and Detlan. He is taken to the Seal Clan's island where he encounters the Seal Mage, Tenris. Tenris promises to help him make a cure if he obtains the ingredients. Torak agrees and with help from Bale, he successfully gets the ingredients. During his time on the Seal island he discovers he is a Spirit Walker (when he jumped into the water and turned into a fish) and can enter the bodies of other creatures while keeping his own thoughts. Meanwhile, Wolf and Renn, who were following Torak, begin to search for him only to discover that it was a trap and the Seal Mage was the one that was causing the illness by poisoning the berries there. With help from Renn, Wolf, and Bale (and a narrow escape), Torak defeats the Seal Mage and warns the others about the berries. ''Soul Eater'' When Wolf is captured by the 3 hunters , Torak followed the tracks to the North in an attempt to rescue him, while Renn stalked him. They find the White Fox Clan, who provide them with shelter, food, and clothes. The White Fox Clan warns him to turn back. Ignoring the advice, Torak finds the Soul Eaters' hideout where he discovers their plan to unleash demons on the world by sacrificing hunters (predators of the world) and they plan to control the demons with a Fire Opal. Torak eventually rescues Wolf and escapes. Renn, meanwhile, finds she has the fire opal and realizes she has only one life to give it: her own. Nef, one of the soul eaters, grabs the opal from her and sacrifices herself, to pay back Torak's father, who saved her life, just before Renn is going to jump into a stone chasm. Both Torak and Renn escape with Wolf, but the Soul Eaters have marked Torak against his will as one of them. ''Outcast'' When Torak is revealed to bear the Soul-Eater tattoo by Aki of the Boar Clan, he is declared outcast by the clans, and is sent into hiding for if anyone sees him, they will have to kill him. Seshru, the Viper Mage finds out and is on the search for him in an attempt to control his spirit walking powers. Bale and Renn set out on a journey to help Torak and persuade the clans he is innocent, a feat that could mean their lives. Bale and Renn argue at first and do not get along - mostly because Bale is used to more sedentary women at home, and Renn, being fiery, headstrong and capable of hunting and fighting herself, is quite a change for him. Renn, meanwhile, struggles to deal with Bale's prejudices against her and finally both come to the realization that to finish the quest, they both depend on each other. The Viper Mage tells Torak on the island he becomes washed up on that Renn is actually her daughter and Torak refuses to talk with either Renn and Bale until they compromise to help each other. When all three of them return to the Forest they find themselves hunted. Fin-Kedinn makes Torak his son and they use the ancient ritual of sharing blood. Then Torak, quite unexpectedly, gives the Viper Mage the fire opal that she wants. The audience soon realize his plan when Renn aims her bow and arrow at her own mother, the Viper Mage. Since the destruction of a piece of opal requires a life to be sacrificed with it, this act can destroy the second piece of Fire Opal. Bale understands that killing her own mother will taint Renn's soul so he kills the Viper Mage himself. Torak is no longer declared clanless and soon finds out that his mother declared him clanless before she died. The Outcast tattoo is then altered by Fin-Kedinn - the circle divided up into four sectors and filled in with the four colours representing all clans of the Mountain, Sea, Forest and Far North. This declares that in being clanless, Torak is a part of all clans. ''Oath Breaker'' Enraged by the death of his kinsman Bale, Torak heads out with Renn to track down Bale's killer - Thiazzi, one of the seven soul eaters. His search leads him to the Deep Forest. He swears an oath to kill Thiazzi, and he discovers Thiazzi's plot to control the Deep Forest clans, unite them and wage war against the Open Forest. It is up to Torak alone to use all his will to stop this brewing war, with the help of Renn. Will he succeed in stopping the war? Or shall he endanger the lives of his friends to avenge his kinsman? He and Renn are separated, while Wolf struggles to come to terms with the fact that Torak is "not-wolf," which devastates him. Renn attempts to fight Thiazzi, but Thiazzi, the huge and dangerous Oak Mage overcomes her and ties her up inside a hollow tree. As smoke chokes her, she cuts herself free on the tip of a knife and climbs to the top, where she aids Torak in getting rid of Thiazzi. ''Ghost Hunter'' At the age of 15 summers Torak's only foe is the last soul eater, Eostra the Eagle Owl Mage. Torak, Wolf and Renn make their ascent on the Mountain of Ghosts. They brave hordes of tokoroths, evil demon children sent by soul eaters, packs of demon dogs and the merciless winter ice. Torak uses all his knowledge, all his skill in hope of defeating his foe. But, the prophecy does not tell of his victory. Renn, who was left behind, struggles to catch up with him and help, and does so with the assistance of a strange, ghostly boy named Dark. Torak must fight Eostra head to head in a battle that ends both of their lives. Shortly after his death, Wolf chases Toraks soul and puts it back in his body, bringing him back to life. Renn must also decide whether she wishes to take the path of becoming a mage, but declines it when Dark shows signs of being a mage. Instead her, Torak, Wolf, Darkfur and Pebble venture into the forest to discover what lays past the Mountains. Relationships Father Torak is very loyal to his father, which is no great surprise as he grew up with him away from the clans in the wild. It broke his heart when he had to draw the Death Marks upon his father when he lay dying, fatally wounded by the Demon Bear. He takes great pride in his father and his father's knife. The entire first book details his loyalty towards his father as he tracks down the Demon Bear which killed him. He does not allow the memories of his father to be tainted when he discovers of his past with the soul eaters. Mother Torak has no memory of his mother as she died three months after he was born and his father refused to speak of her, as it saddened him. So for much of his life she was merely the woman who had made his medicine horn and who later declared him clanless. She only became more real to Torak when Fin-Kedinn told Torak that he is like her in many ways and reassures him of her love for him. Fin-Kedinn also reveals that he loved Torak's mother as any man loves his mate but she chose his father. This made him bitter and he refused to help Torak's father, who was once his best friend, to hide from the Soul Eaters. Tracking was his mother's skill which she taught Torak's Fa, who later taught Torak. Oslak When Torak first entered the Raven Clan camp, it was Oslak who took him in and shared his home with Torak. He was generous and kind to him, traits which Torak greatly admired in the man. When Oslak became ill, Torak tried unsuccessfully to help him, Oslak later dying. Torak, torn by guilt, vows to find a cure to the mysterious illness. Even though he had only known the man for several months, he clearly felt a strong bond with the man and was greatly influenced by him. Renn Torak and Renn have a mixed relationship. At the beginning of Wolf Brother, they are mistrustful of each other, and only after travelling with each other and assisting each other throughout the first book do they begin to trust each other. Renn is Torak's best friend and team-mate, being proficiently compatible in skill to fight all the Soul Eaters together. They care about each other deeply and would do anything to protect each other. Although Torak never really shows that he likes Renn (his emotions about her are mixed until Outcast), he says that she is a good pack-sister to himself and Wolf. Renn mentioned a few times that Torak was handsome and that he was tall, strange and slightly frightening, while Torak portrays his feelings for her as naive and confused as they develop. They are shown to grow beyond best friends in Oath Breaker, as Renn kisses his jaw. They shared their first kiss in Ghost Hunter, and it was mentioned that Fin-Kedinn was trying to keep Torak and Renn apart, most likely feeling threatened about their growing feelings for each other. Also in Ghost Hunter, Torak admits that he likes Renn a lot when Dark asks him. It may also be mentioned that also in Ghost Hunter, when Torak leaves Renn behind, he almost tells her he loves her before simply saying that the Guardian flies with her. Before Bale is murdered, he asks Torak what he would think if he asked Renn to be his mate, Torak argues with him in a fit of jealousy and confusion and walks off, leaving Bale on his own. Torak and Renn make a strong pair and together they save the world from the dangerous, cruel, and menacing Soul Eaters. The characters that they have are amazingly strong which helps them to battle the Soul Eaters. At the end of Ghost Hunter, Torak decides to leave the Clans to return to the life he knew with his father, at which Renn also decides to follow. With her uncle's blessing, they depart with Wolf, Pebble (Wolf's only living cub) and Darkfur, Wolf's mate. It is strongly implied that by this point that their relationship is romantic. Bale Bale was Torak's only living relative (by the end of Spirit Walker) and one of his closest friends in the series. Torak's grandmother was Seal Clan making Bale his Kinsman, but not directly related. Despite this the two disliked each other upon first meeting and Torak was reluctant to befriend him. Circumstances however forced the two to work together and they ended up with a good relationship. Torak found Bale to be a good companion and a loyal friend despite their rough beginning, this is proven when Bale travels up the Crag to retrieve Torak's knife in Spirit Walker, and when he comes to help him in Outcast. In Outcast, Bale comes up with a plan to get Torak back into the Clans, again showing his close friendship with him. However, Bale fell in love with Renn (Bale was at first condescending to Renn and then developed respect for her strength and determination, and ultimately he fell deeply in love with her, but Renn showed more love for Torak in the end). In Oath Breaker, Bale asks Torak what he thinks if he (Bale) asks Renn to stay with him at Sea when Torak heads back to the Forest. Torak answers Bale that he didn't care and it was up to Renn herself. As Bale keeps pressing the matter into Torak and insists on an answer, Torak storms off and leaves Bale on his own. Bale later dies, though not at the hands of Torak but of the Oak Mage Thiazzi, who killed Bale when he was alone. When Torak finds out about this, he is filled with regret and rage and blames himself heavily for the death of Bale. So much so that Torak swears an oath to kill Thiazzi and avenge Bale. Their relationship is mainly based on mutual respect for each other and their respective elements (the Sea and the Forest), as well as their love for Renn. Fin-Kedinn The extremely wise Fin-Kedinn acts much as one would expect of a foster father, he gives Torak advice on the issues facing him and he is always there to help him when needed. Fin-kedinn always showed a type of love for Torak though it was always hard to find. As one would expect, Torak has great admiration for him and respects him, and he feels honored when Fin-Kedinn fosters him. However, Torak never could read Fin-Kedinn's character as Fin-Kedinn had always hidden it with his unreadable expression. Torak is sometimes unsure of what the man thinks of him and doubts his feelings. In the end however, Fin-Kedinn embraces Torak as his foster son and makes him promise, after he told him that he and Renn were leaving the Clans, that they would return one day to celebrate with him and the Ravens. Wolf Wolf started as a cute, mischievous, wobbly, and innocent wolf cub in the beginning of Wolf Brother. Like many others whom he meets in the series, Torak initially disliked Wolf when the two first met, because he was hungry and wanted to eat the cub but too kind to kill Wolf, and Wolf licked him all over, annoying to the then moody Torak. However, Torak later grew fond of the cub and raised him. Wolf is often described as his guide and as his pack-brother. Torak is dedicated and loyal towards Wolf (and vice versa) and is very protective of him, perhaps more so than anyone else. Torak can communicate with Wolf in wolf-talk (howls and body language). Wolf and Torak are like brothers and are each other's pack-brother. Wolf is the most important thing in the world to Torak, besides Renn. They look out for each other and have an extremely strong bond. Wolf helped Torak get through his Fa's death and Torak helped Wolf get through his pack's death and cared for Wolf when he was a cub. Wolf protects Torak from dangers that he doesn't hear or notice. When Wolf or Torak are in danger, they can howl to each other in their heads. As Torak's guide, Wolf has a strange knowledge about him sometimes. They are always connected and will always be pack-brothers. Wolf states that Torak's purpose is to fight "Bad Taillesses" (soul eaters, or bad people in general) and Wolf's purpose is to chase demons. Together they fight the evil, along with Renn. Towards Renn, Wolf was less warm at first, even after he developed a strong love for Torak and Renn was Torak's friend. He hated her in the first book, though he admitted she was "clever and smart". In the second book he is wary and distrustful, but through the rest of the books Wolf and Renn become friends based on respect. At the end of Ghost Hunter, Wolf manages to guide Torak's soul back into his body thus basically bringing him back from the dead. Rip and Rek These two ravens befriended Torak after a storm where they dropped out of their nest onto Torak's shelter and for them. They were sent by Renn via her doing a dangerous experiment with magecraft to help Torak recover from his soul sickness. Unlike most ravens Rip and Rek don't mind humans and enjoy playing tricks on humans and animals alike. Torak doesn't mind and enjoys the raven's company, though he tends to avoid making a fuss over them when Wolf or Renn are around, in case Wolf gets envious. Category:Outcasts Category:Soul Eater characters Category:Outcast characters Category:Wolf Clan members